Too Late by Colleen Hoover
What's It About?
This seamless blend of romance and horror highlights the grueling reality of what some people have to do in order to survive and support their families.“That’s where love finds you … in the tragedies.”
Too Late (Grand Central Publishing) is a twisted love story told from alternating perspectives that author Colleen Hoover has worked on over the last decade and never knew would see the light of day. This thrilling and dangerous book highlights the grueling reality of what some people have to do in order to survive and support their families.
Sloan has no limits to what she will do for those that she loves. In fact, she goes through hell and back every single day. Bad boy and drug trafficker Asa Jackson has had her heart since they first met, and he will stop at nothing to keep her a part of his world.
She lives on the verge of danger in Asa’s house, surrounded by him and his crew at all times. Since he started financially supporting her and her brother, Asa has stopped trying to hide his business from Sloan. He’s physically and mentally abusive, not only to Sloan, but to all of his “friends.” So when his crew realizes that Asa is taking advantage of them, they decide to get revenge by hurting Sloan — and they don’t hold back.
While trying to figure out how to leave her tumultuous situation and still pay for her brother’s private healthcare, Sloan meets Carter, the nice guy in her Spanish class who changes everything. He’s also the guy who puts them all in more danger as the days go by.
Carter is an undercover DEA agent, but Sloan has no idea. Can they keep their mutual attraction under wraps before Asa finds out and kills them both? Sloan and Carter need to find a way out before it’s too late…
Compelling Psychological Thriller
“Love is not found, love finds.”
Too Late covers a lot of complex topics, from drug, physical and mental abuse, to cheating and mental illness. As Sloan tries to escape the abusive and dangerous Asa, she follows her heart towards Carter, but fears what could happen to both of them if the truth was revealed. The tension and danger looming over their romance makes this domestic and psychological thriller utterly compelling.
However, there are also other important topics that are covered below the surface, including the lengths that families need to go to care for a sick relative and afford that care. This book is not for the faint-hearted, so much so that the book contains a handful of trigger warnings at the start, letting readers know what they’re getting themselves into.
Colleen Hoover has written the all-too-familiar hero/damsel in distress trope, where Sloan suffers until Carter acts as the knight in shining armor, swooping in to save her from her own misfortune. But ultimately, the decision to be free of Asa’s grip isn’t much of a decision at all — Sloan has to escape or die trying, with Carter by her side. And when Asa tricks his entire crew and gets Carter to admit who he really is, everything falls apart — and quickly.
Love, Abuse and Mental Illness
The emotional and physical toll that a toxic relationship can have on a person is unimaginable, but it is a complicated dynamic that Hoover doesn’t shy away from tackling in several of her novels. Though the subject matter may be intense, her writing is always reliable and comforting. You always know what you’re getting when you crack open a Hoover book.
Out of all of Colleen Hoover’s characters, Carter is one of the best male leads she’s written. He’s kind, thoughtful, smart and incredibly attractive — who could complain! He is a man who knows what he wants and what’s important. Though he may make some mistakes along the way, he has one goal — to protect Sloan. Even Sloan’s brother, who is non-verbal, finds a way to express how much he likes Carter — and that just says it all.
This book really made me think about how hard situations don’t always have a clear solution and how love should not be an added weight to someone’s life. We’re not just dealing with one of the many issues of love, abuse and mental illness mentioned above, but everything all at once, making it read almost like a fantasy novel, from my perspective. This is yet another thrilling read from Colleen Hoover and I’m sure her other fans are ready to devour this one.
About Colleen Hoover:
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-four novels and novellas. Hoover’s novels fall into the New Adult and Young Adult contemporary romance categories, as well as psychological thriller. Three of her novels — Confess, It Ends With Us and Without Merit — won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance three years in a row. Her novel Confess has been filmed as a series and is available on Prime Video.
She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
